Story Structure

Read A Family Is a Family Is a Family to the class, paying special attention to how the story is structured. Discuss the different parts of a story, including how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action. Ask students what parts of the...

Understanding a Novel in Verse

The teacher introduces the verse novel format. Students analyze line breaks and spacing in a sample poem and discuss how poetry can convey emotion differently than traditional prose.

History Through Verse

Students write a free-verse poem about justice, courage or their own beliefs. Option to illustrate or present.

Verse & Voice

In small groups, students perform selected free-verse passages aloud with expression, analyzing how poetic structure conveys emotion and urgency.

Truth vs. Propaganda

Highlight contrasting ideas of truth vs. propaganda (e.g., Nazi slogans vs. resistance leaflets). Students record examples of propaganda and how truth is revealed through resistance.